I couldn’t resist. With temperatures in the low 80s outside, I had to take in Thursday’s first preseason practice for the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys.

For the first time since August 1997, 125 ATU football players are going through two-a-day workouts under the leadership of a new head coach, Raymond Monica. After the usual ritual of making sure players had their physicals, got their uniforms and filled out all their paperwork, they’ve hit the practice field at 8:30 a.m. and about 4 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Monica wanted the first day of practice to run smoother and be more efficient — players and coaches in the right places, where they should be, and with some pep in their step as each period buzzer sounded.

But show me one college football coach in America who was honestly happy about his team’s first day of fall practices. Every head coach wants to pick up where they left off at the end of the last spring game.

One thing Monica, his staff and the players had to unexpectedly fight through the first week was the heat — inside the Hull Building.

“The heat’s out in the whole building,” Monica said after the afternoon workout. “We’ve been sweating more inside than we have out here. We come out here to cool off.”

I thought it was nice of the former Kutztown, Pa., head coach to bring these great practice temps with him from the Northeast. Players donned shoulder pads Saturday, and I fully expect the popping to get really loud when they put on full pads Monday morning.

Athletic Director Steve Mullins said Friday the air conditioning situation was in the process of being fixed. So as week two of the Wonder Boys preseason begins, the players and coaches can concentrate on improving every day on the field and prepare for their season opener at Northwestern Oklahoma on Sept. 5. They’ll have two-a-days through Aug. 27, then go to one practice when classes start up on Aug. 28.

I can assure the 2013 Wonder Boys football team one thing: last week’s Hull Building temperatures were nothing compared to the Stroupe Building, home of the 1997 Wonder Boys football team in Mullins’ first year. You couldn’t hear him talk unless he was screaming over chicken house fans. And that, ATU football fans, was their air conditioning.

• The volleyball Golden Suns are scheduled to return to campus today and begin their rigorous practices toward their season opener Sept. 6 in Springfield, Mo.

ATU returns 11 Suns who saw action last season, including seven newcomers. The team was ranked second by Great American Conference coaches in last week’s preseason poll. Arkansas Tech finished 27-10 overall, and will be chomping at the bit to get that GAC regular-season and conference championship from Harding.

Put this date on your calendar: Aug. 31, 10 a.m. inside Tucker Coliseum. That’s the Suns’ first Green and Gold scrimmage. You’ll get a chance to see how dangerous these ladies are going to get this season.

• A couple more events for you to remember.

The first is 11:30 a.m. Aug. 26 at Western Sizzlin’ in Russellville. Arkansas Tech’s annual fall Green and Gold Luncheon will feature five head coaches — Monica, Bayer, cross country coach Tom Aspel (who may mention those four seniors who return to his squad this season), girl’s golf coach Amy White and men’s golf coach Luke Calcatera.

Support the Wonder Boys and Golden Suns, and congratulte Mullins and the head coaches on helping ATU win the second straight GAC All-Sports Trophy. The conference has existed for two years, and Arkansas Tech has won the first two All-Sports Trophies. That’s pretty impressive.

Be at the Hughes Center at 6:30 p.m. Monday if you’re interested in being part of a new sports league in Russellville. The city’s Recreation and Parks Department wants to start a recreational kickball league that would play on Monday nights.

This really intrigues me because about the only thing I could do in my previous athletic days was to kick a football or a kickball around. Now I just stick my foot in my mouth more times than I care to remember.

Seriously, put the smart phones and the tablets and the computers down for awhile, go out and join the new adult kickball league. See you in the bleachers.